Prediction of posttraumatic stress symptoms in children after Hurricane Andrew.

Abstract

The authors used an integrative conceptual model to examine the emergence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 568 elementary school-age children 3 months after Hurricane Andrew. The model included 4 primary factors: Exposure to Traumatic Events, Child Characteristics, Access to Social Support, and Children's Coping. Overall, 62% of the variance in children's selfreported PTSD symptoms was accounted for by the 4 primary factors, and each factor improved overall prediction of symptoms when entered in the analyses in the order specified by the conceptual model. The findings suggest that the conceptual model may be helpful to organize research and intervention efforts in the wake of natural disasters. Hurricane Andrew struck Dade County, Florida, on August 24, 1992, in one of the worst natural disasters ever to occur in the United States, Over 175,000 residents were left homeless as 30,000 houses, 19,000 mobile homes, and 12,000 apartments were destroyed (Slevin & Filkins, 1992). Destruction was more widespread than expected, and many children were terrified during the hurricane as their homes were damaged or destroyed. In the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew, thousands of children struggled to adapt to the loss of their homes, pets, toys, and friends. Parents, school personnel, mental health professionals, and members of the media expressed widespread concern about children's psychological reactions following exposure to such a traumatic event. Concerns were also expressed about which children were at highest risk to develop negative or adverse reactions. Concerns such as these guided the present investigation. This study sought to examine diverse factors, some of which have been previously linked with children's responses to natural disasters, within the context of an integrative conceptual model. In a recent review of the literature on children's reactions to disasters, Vogel and Vernberg (1993) concluded that a major

The Relationship between Sustained Attention and PTSD Symptoms in Chinese Earthquake Orphans

“…The results supported that orphans had a greater likelihood of suffering from PTSD [4] [7]. Children reported the highest levels of social support from their parents [6]. After experiencing a great catastrophic event, orphans who had lost support and safely comfort from parents easily had more psychological problems, such as suffering from PTSD and so on.…”

The relationship between social support and posttraumatic stress symptoms among youth exposed to a natural disaster

“…This 15-item child-report questionnaire was adapted from that used in similar studies assessing hurricane loss and exposure in youth samples (La Greca, Silverman, & Wasserstein, 1998; Vernberg, La Greca, Silverman, & Prinstein, 1996). The Hurricane Related Traumatic Experiences questionnaire included assessments of perceived (1 item) and actual life-threatening experiences (6 items).…”

Exposure and Peritraumatic Response as Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress in Children Following the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing

“…[25][26][27][28][29] In a study of children after a school shooting, Schwarz and Kowalski 29 recommended that initial physiologic and emotional response be considered an aspect of exposure. Vernberg and colleagues 30 included perceived life threat in their measure of exposure in children following Hurricane Andrew; the exposure variable, in combination with other factors, was highly predictive of later PTSD symptoms. These studies examined samples in which most children were directly exposed to the traumatic event.…”